Solas Festival aims to create a generous, hospitable space in Scotland where the arts can be performed and enjoyed by all. Our programme also makes space for challenging debate with activists, writers and thinkers from across the political, cultural and religious spectrum.

Welcome to Fairs and Festivals, a celebration of those wonderful, wacky, alternative, hippy, green festivals which occurred in the UK during the late seventies and throughout the eighties, with a very few still surviving into the new century, despite moves by the state to stamp them out.

Free Festivals, Green Festivals, Medieval Faires, and a variety of pagan festivals, brought together people from all walks of life to celebrate life itself. They remade the concept of festival, harking back to medieval times and unholy fools who entertained the people and outraged the authorities. With no one in charge, they came together through the voluntary efforts of hundreds of people who gave their time, energy and talents to create something unexpected and extraordinary.

The photographs on this site are, so far, the work of Peter Simmons, and everyone is invited to send pictures for inclusion here. We hope to develop it into a database of images from all the festivals, both officially organised and unofficial free events. Email me at [click] peter at passwordpublish.co.uk [click] with your photographs and some information about them, and we will include them in the site. All are welcome to contribute with stories, memories, photographs and reminiscences.

'Helmets', Rougham, Suffolk, c1980

January 12th 2008

FAIRS AND FESTIVALS BLOG LAUNCHED

Launch of the site, a lot of work needed to upload photographs, but before that they all have to be scanned, this was in the days before digital cameras.

Please be patient while the
site grows. And please send us your stuff for inclusion.